Archbishop Not Amused By `Sisters' / But Levada seeks talks to end rift with church

Don Lattin, Chronicle Religion Writer

Published 4:00 am, Friday, April 2, 1999

1999-04-02 04:00:00 PDT San Francisco -- In his first comment on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence controversy, Archbishop William Levada suggested that San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano's actions were "anti-Catholic," but he offered to sit down for a tete-a-tete with the city's infamous band of cross-dressing nuns.

Levada was in Rome when the uproar erupted over the Board of Supervisors' decision to close part of Castro Street so the irreverent theater troupe could hold their 20th anniversary party.

But he makes up for lost time in his column published in today's issue of Catholic San Francisco, where the archbishop devotes his entire Easter message to the theology of perpetual indulgence.

But he takes great offense at Ammiano's comment, published in the New York Times, that the San Francisco Archdiocese "has been on something of a jihad against gays and lesbians."

Levada questions Ammiano's assumption that the archdiocese is "homophobic" because it has resisted domestic partner benefits and condemns same-sex marriage.

"Some think it is homophobic to believe, with the entire Judeo-Christian tradition, that homosexual activity is morally wrong," the archbishop writes. "That I disagree with Ammiano on these issues does not make me 'homophobic' any more than it makes him 'anti-Catholic.' What does raise the suspicion of being 'anti-Catholic' in the present context is his defense of the Sisters' behavior."

As for the Sisters, Levada says there is no question that their "offensive use" of the nuns habit, their "mocking of virtue" and their "blasphemous" performance of "condom masses" all are intended to offend Catholics.

"City government has gone out of its way to associate itself with this ridicule and blasphemy," he writes.

Nevertheless, after blasting the Sisters and the supervisors, Levada held out an olive branch to both.

Noting that Pope John Paul II has called for worldwide reconciliation during the celebration of the year 2000, Levada writes that he is willing to meet with the supervisors "in the hope of growing in mutual awareness and respect -- and perhaps in avoiding this kind of controversy in the future."

Ammiano, who is openly gay and the president of the Board of Supervisors, said yesterday that he is happy to meet with Levada and has already scheduled a meeting next week with some lower-ranking officials at the archdiocese.

As for the "anti-Catholic" charge in Levada's column, Ammiano started to respond, interrupted himself and said, "Talking through the press is not a good idea."

"There is a gulf here, and we need to bridge it," he said. "Each side should take an accounting."

Levada said he had not been aware that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was a "charitable organization."

"I can only hope that their charity is not synonymous with money garnered on the occasion of their anti- Catholic performances," he said.

Ending his column on a positive note, the archbishop said he "looks forward to visiting with the Sisters to explore any useful cooperation in lending a charitable hand to those in need in our city."